Retort for generating oxygen.



No; 702,855. Patented June I7, I902.

F. B. FELT.

RETORT FOR GENERATING OXYGEN.

(Application filed Nov. 6, 1901.)

(No Model.) 4 SheetsSheet I.

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RETORT FOR GENERATING OXYGEN.

(Application filed Nov. 6, 1901.)

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No. 702,855. Patented June l7, I902.

F. B. FELT.

RETURT FOR GENERATING OXYGEN.

(Application 'filed Nov. 6 1901.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets'S he et'3 wk 3,624' bl; I Pu uH l'ilu I Q N! JAA W Wm I J 1&1 7 d, m 11H| P5661 r 117" xFa exam":

No. 702,855. 7 Patented June [7, 1902.

F. B'. FELT.

RETURT FOR GENERATING OXYGEN.

(Application filed Nov. 6, 1901.;

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

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FELT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO MERRITT GREENE, OFMARSHALLTOTVN, IOWA.

RETO RT FOR G EN ERATING OXYGEN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 702,855, dated June 17,1902.

Application filed November 6,1901. Serial No. 81,281. (No model.)

T0 (0Z5 whom it may concern:

Beitknown that I, FRANKB. FELT, acitizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inGas-Generating Retorts, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in gas-generating retortsprimarily designed for the production of oxygen from air and steam bymeans of a suitable liquid successivelyand continuously oxidized bymeans of the air and deoxidized by means of the steam, so that the sameliquid is used over and over again and without intermission.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a retort of convenient form,construction, and arrangement, so that it may be readily adapted to thevarious requirements of the uses to which it is to be put and may at thesame time be cheap and durable, so as to be well adapted to commercialuse.

It is also my purpose to provide in the retort means for handling theliquid in such a way as to obtain better results therefrom both as tocapacity and as to the purity of the product.

To these and other minor ends the invention consists in certain novelcharacteristics possessed by the preferredform of apparatus, which willbe hereinafter described, said characteristics being clearly defined inthe claims appended hereto.

The preferred construction is illustrated in the drawings, of which-Figure 1 is a sectional perspective showing the interior of the retortand certain of the various chambers and partitions therein. Fig. 2 is avertical diametrical section in plane 2 2 of Fig. a. Fig. 3 isa similarsection in plane 3 3 of Fig. 5. Fig. 1 is a horizontal section lookingdownward, taken in the plane at 1 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a horizontalsection taken in the plane 5 5 of Fig.

Referring to these drawings, A represents a cylindrical vessel providedwith a bottom a and a horizontal flange a at the top, perforated at o toprovide means for bolting a cover thereupon. Said cover is shown in Fig.2 at B and the bolts by means of which it is secured at The retort, asshown, is prol vided with permanent partitions C D E, the partition Cbeing preferably cylindrical in form and centrally disposed in theretort and the partitions D E extending from the central cylindricalpartition upon opposite sides to the sides of the retort. These variouspartitions are provided'with perforations c d e, to which the cover mayalso be bolted to inclose tightly the chamber F, in which the gas whichis to be generated is produced. A num ber of openings f above theopposite chamber G provide free access between the same and theatmosphere, so as to permit of the escape of nitrogen liberated in thischamber, as will be seen hereinafter. An opening 11 into the centralchamber provided with a cap 19 affords means of access to said centralchamber and is used principally to add from time to time such quantitiesof the liquid as may be needed.

A short preferably permanent partition H separates a portion I of thechamber G from the remainder, which portion is connected with thecentral chamber byan opening J, extending somewhat below the top of thepartition H and of sufficient length to provide free communicationbetween the upper portion of the central chamberand the chamber G. Saidcentral chamber is also connected at the bottom by means of an opening Knear the partition E with the chamber F, and the lower part of thepartition D is omitted, as seen at cl, Figs. 8 and 5, so as to provideat this point an opening X directly from the chamber F to the chamber G.

The inner side of the cylindrical wall A is provided with a series ofperpendicular ribs a preferably at substantially equal distances fromeach other,and the opposite outer wall of the partition Cis providedwith a corresponding series of grooves c. A series of removablepartitions M M have one edge m fitted to the groove 0 and the oppositeedge m, which is preferably widened for the purpose, provided with agroove on", fitted to the ribs a These partitions are of two kinds, thepartitions M being continuous from top to bottom and the bottom portionsof the partitions ll being omitted, so as to afford access between thecompartments upon opposite sides of said partitions. The partitions IOOM are also preferably provided at the top with deflectors N, curvedtoward the adjacent partitions, so as to guide the liquidin its passagefrom one to the other.

In the chamber F, intermediate between the tops of the partitions M Mand the top of the retort, is a preferably flat horizontal plate 0, theouter portion of the chamber to check the upward flow of the liquid whenthe same is subjected to violentagitation. In the bottom of eachalternate compartment of the outer chambers is a box P, the edges ofwhich contain perforations p and in the top of which is fitted apipep 19the pipes p being preferably longer than the pipes 19 for the purposereferred to later. Extending downward through the cover and enteringeach one of these boxes in the chamber G is a smaller air-pipe Q, theend of which is turned upward at q, so as to discharge upwardly into thepipe 1). Similar pipes R for the admission of steam extend downwardthrough the cover, enter the boxes in the chamber F, and terminate in anupward direction in the pipe A boss S in the cover is intended for theconnection of a pipe through which the generated gas may be carriedwherever desired.

In the operation of the apparatus above described the lower portion ofthe retort is filled with a suitable liquid, as manganate of soda, to aheight less than that of the partitions M M and greater than that of thebottom of the opening J. In practice there is more or less openingaround the edges of the partitions M M, so that the manganate tends tomaintain the same height throughout the enti re retort. If the jointsbetween the partitions and the retort should be too close to permit ofthe desired equalization, openings maybe provided through the partitionsto admit of the limited flow from one compartment to another. After themanganate occupies the various compartments to the desired height air isturned into the airpipes and steam into the steampipes, preferably withsufficient pressure to cause a more or less violent agitation of theliquid. Both air and steam pipes act on the principle of injectors,sucking the liquidinto the boxes P through the openings in the sidesthereof and ejecting it forcibly from the upper ends of the tubes 19 19The agitation of the liquid in the compartments of the chamber G bymeans of the various air-currents passing upward through the samethoroughly oxidizes the manganate and at the same time advances it fromchamber to chamber over the intervening partitions, so that it isrepeatedly subjected to the air-currents and agitated thereby. Thedeflectors Non the tops of the partitions direct the rising liquidforward from each compartment to the next succeeding compartment. Afterthe manganate has passed through all of the active compartments in thechamber Gr it reaches the compartment I and from said compartmentoverliows through the opening J into the central chamber.ThecompartmentIactsasasettlingchamber and the central chamber as areservoir adapted to contain a suificient quantity of manganate toinsure a continual supply for the deoxidizing operation. Said chamberalso gives an opportunity for all of the air held in suspension by themanganate to. rise and escape therefrom prior to the commencement of thedeoxidation By the combination of the settling-chamber I and the centralreservoir-chamber the manganate is completely freed of all sedimentorimpurities which settle in the compartment I and also of all air, whichif carried forward into the deoxidizing-chamber would render the productof the apparatusimpure. The manganate passes from the central chamberthrough the opening K into the first compartment of thedeoxidizing-chamber and is sucked in by the steam and thrown violentlyupward in the tube 19 The thorough mingling of the steam and manganatedeoxidizes the latter, and as the liquid is ejected from the top of thetube the free oxygen escapes upward into the chamber F, while themanganate passes onward to the next compartment to undergo a repetitionof the operation, and so on until the last compartment of the chamber Fis reached, when the deoxidation is supposed to be complete and themanganate passes through the opening X into the chamber G to undergoarepetition of the oxidizing process.

While I recognize the possibility of great variation in the exactconstruction of the retort described, yet I consider the form here shownas greatly preferable and as possessing many advantages over othersknown to me at the present time.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a retort ofthe class described, the combination with the outer wall, of partitionsforming oxidizing and deoxidizing chambers, a series of compartments ineach chamber opening alternately near top and bottom, into the nextsucceeding compartments, a settling-compartment into which the lastoxidizing-compartment opens at the top, a supply-chamber having anoverflow-opening from the settling-chamber and opening near the bottominto the first deoxidizingcompartment, an opening near the bottom of thelast deoxidizing-compartment into the first oxidizing-compartment, aseries of airpipes in the oxidizing-chamber, a series of steam-pipes inthe deoxidizing-chamber, said pipes terminating in an upward directionin the lower portions of the compartments which open near the top intothe next succeeding compartments, and the oxidizing and deoxidizingchambers being provided respectively with means for the escape of thenitrogen and the withdrawal of the oxygen; substantially as described.

2. In a retort of the class described, the combination with the outerwalls, of a central hollow partition and partitions extending therefromto the outer walls, suitable guides on the hollow partition and theouter walls, removable sliding partitions fitted to said guides, andsuitable oxidizing and deoxidizing apparatus located in the respectivechambers between the said partition and the outer walls; substantiallyas described.

3. In a retort of the class described, the combination with a hollowcylindrical partition and partitions radiating therefrom to divide theretort into oxidizing and deoxidizing chambers, said cylindricalpartition being provided with openings above and below, openingrespectively into the oxidizing and deoxidizing chambers, of a series ofradial partitions extending from the cylindrical partition to the outerwall, the alternate radial partitions terminating respectively short ofthe top and bottom of the retort, and suitable oxidizing and deoxidizingapparatus located in the respective chambers and adapted to maintain acontinuous circulation around the retort, substantially as described.

I. The combination with the cylindrical vessel, A, adapted for thepurpose described, of the partitions, O, D, E, dividing the retort intoan oxidizing and deoxidizing and a supply chamber, the latter of whichopens above the bottom into the oxidizing-chamber and near the bottominto the deoxidizing-chamher, the partitions, M, terminating above andthe partitions, IWI, open below the liquidlevel, the deflectors, N,secured to the partitions, M, and suitable apparatus in the alternatecompartments, formed by the partitions, M, M, adapted to effect thealternate oxidation and deoxidation of a suitable liquid and also tokeep the same in continual circulation through the various compartments;substantially as described.

5. In a retort of the class described, the combination with thecylindrical vessel, A, and the partitions, O, D, E, therein, of theshort permanent partition, II, the partition, 0, having the opening, J,between the partitions, E, H, and terminating below the top of thelatter, the radial partitions, M, M, open alternately at the bottom, andmeans for successively oxidizing and deoxidizing a suitable liquid andat the same time passing it continuously around the retort;substantially as described.

6. In a retort of the class described, the combination with an outerwall, of a cylindrical partition forming a cylindrical centralsupply-chamber, radial partitions extending from said cylindricalpartition to the outer walls of the retort, and dividing the remainderof the retort into an oxidizing and a deoxidizing chamber, saidoxidizing and deoxidizing chambers being crossed by various partitionsextending part way up, said partitions being so arranged that thechambers formed by them open, one into another, alternately at the topand bottom, the alternate chambers being provided with injectors, thosein the oxidizing-chamber being air-injectors, and those in thedeoxidizing-chamber being steam-injectors, the alternate ones of saidshort partitions being provided with deflectors so arranged that theliquid which is turned upward by the injector will be turned into thenext compartment, suitable means of communication from theoxidizing-cham her to the central supply-chamber, from the centralsupply-chamber to the deoxidizingchamber, and from thedeoxidizing-chamber to the oxidizing-chamber; substantially asdescribed.

7. In a retort of the class described, the combination with an out-erwall, of a cylindrical partition forming a central supplychamber, withradial partitions extending from said cylindrical partition to the wallsof the retort and dividing the remainder of the retort into an oxidizingand a deoxidizing chamber, said oxidizing and deoxidizing chambers beingcrossed by various partitions extending part way up, said partitionsbeing so arranged that the chambers formed by them open, one intoanother, alternately at the top and bottom, the last chamber of theoxidizing series opening at the top into the central supply-chamber,also at the top into the next oxidizing-chamber, said last chamber beingadapted to serve asasettling-chamher for the liquid, suitable means ofcommunication from the central supply-chamber to the lower part of thedeoxidizing-chamber and from the last chamber of the deoxidizing seriesto the first chamber of the oxidizing series; substantially asdescribed.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand, at Chicago, in thecounty of Cook and State of Illinois, this 12th day of October, A. D.1901.

FRANK B. FELT.

\Vitnesses:

CHAS. O. SHERVEY, S. BLISS.

ICC

